Margie Bonuchi, Plainfield Village Board of Trustees election questionnaire

Full Name: Margie Bonuchi

What office are you seeking? Plainfield Village Trustee

What is your political party? Republican-Note running as an Independent for this non partisan election

What is your current age? 67

Occupation and Employer: Retired

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Plainfield Village Trustee

Plainfield Planning Commission

City: Plainfield

Education: DePaul University MS in Public Administration & Certification in Urban Planning

DePaul University BAin Technology Management

Community involvement: Current: President Plainfield RIverfront Foundation

Current: Chairperson D202 Foundation for Excellence

Current: Interfaith Food Pantry Board

Current: Member of Friends for Charitable Giving raising money for local people in need

Past President Plainfield Rotary

YMCA Advisory Board 10 yrs

Raised 100′s of 1000′s of dollars for Plainfield Band Students

Assisted Plainfield Lions Club Christmas Food Basket Giveway

Marital status/Immediate family: Married to my husbsnd Roger.

One stepson

3 grandchildren

Why are you running for office?

I loved serving the residents of Plainfield on this board because decisions are made for the best interest of our community. I really want to see Plainfield continue to move in a positive direction, balancing our rich history with progress for the future.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

I have the experience of planning commissiom, and 12 years as a trustee when the budget was millions in the red and we moved to the black ahead of ashedule. I have many years of business management in the Technology field and I have a BA in Technology Management. I also got an MS in Public Administration that includes a certification in Urban Planning. This training enhances my experience to better serve .

What is your position on the Illinois weapons ban that took effect in January 2023?

I believe that this is a state issue and is not at the Village level. I will follow the laws of the state.

Is crime a problem in your community and, if so, what would you do to curb it?

Crime is not a specific peoblem here, but w need to concentate on hiring more officers. It takes a lot of time to hire officers, whether its a lateral move or new officer so planning for he future is crucial. We have to monitor the potential for planned retirements and adjust accordingly. We are in the process of advertising for more police now.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I believe the town did a good job making resources available. For example, to assist businesses, the Village allowed for extensive outdoor dining with tents and in some cases, igloos. Another Village idea was instituting parklets, which used more street areas for dining and shopping displays. This helped our businesses stay open.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

Well I learned how dynamic our commuity really is. People came together to assist each other whether patronizing local businesses or helping each other out on a personal level. Overall we all responded to the unknown as best we could with the information we had.

How would you spur economic development in your community?

We need to continue to make Plainfield a welcoming place for businesses to come here by streamlining the process without sacrificing quality in the permitting process. We also need to balance residential expansion with commericial entities, to gain more property tax relief.

Would/can/should local governments do anything to help reduce the tax burden on residents?

We need to plan for managed commerical development with growing residential locations. We need to plan for business in order to gain tax revene to help our taxpayers, but with successful planning so the growth can be coordinated and beneficial.

Do you support recreational marijuana being sold in your community to help lower residents’ tax burden?

This is an interesting subject. The Administration has placed this topic on the April 4th ballot as a non-binding referendum. This means voting for or against doesn’t choose or deny it but rather gives the voters a chance to voice their opinion on this topic. So since we are asking the public to tell us their thoughts, I think we should respect that and wait for the results.

What projects or infrastructure would you look to address in your community and how would you do it?

We need more parking and there may be some opportunities to allow for that. I think we should pursue opportunities for more state and federal funds that hae become more plentiful in the past few years. We may be able to securee funding for an overpass to help relieve train traffic. This money was unavailable when CN first showed up here but more funds may peovide more opporunities now.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

Yes

What is your position on open, transparent government?

I firmly believe that government should be as open and transparent as possible. There is no benefit to operating otherwise.I believe citizens need to know what is being planned/discussed and the more communication you provide with the Board, staff and citizens the better. This will alleviate any unnecessary ‘surprises’ in future planning. Most Village business is conducted in open session as it should be.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

Absolutely! This goes along with the concept of total transparency. Information should be readily available and if a citizen wants to access more then why not?

Would you sign a nondisclosure agreement with a prospective company that would limit your ability to communicate with your community?

I would not sign anything that would limit my ability to communicate wiyh my community.